As the week draws to a close, we celebrate a significant achievement: 45,000 subscribers to the GameDiscoverCo newsletter. While we acknowledge that reaching 50k would be a thrilling milestone, we are confident that it is just around the corner. A special mention goes to the Video Game History Foundation for their recent launch of the remarkable ‘history of E3’ collection, which includes a captivating introductory video, a treasure trove of vintage E3 show-floor footage, and a podcast featuring E3 pioneers Doug Lowenstein and Carolyn Rauch.
The Deepest PC/Console Data?
For those interested in diving deeper, a free demo of our GameDiscoverCo Pro company-wide ‘Steam deep dive’ and console data is available upon request. Over 110 organizations have already taken advantage of this opportunity. Alternatively, signing up for GDCo Plus grants access to the complete newsletter and our Discord community, among other benefits.
Now, let’s delve into the latest insights regarding game platforms and discovery:
- Microsoft has released its quarterly results, revealing a concerning trend for Xbox. Analyst John Welfare notes that long-term trends are less than favorable, estimating revenue from Content & Services at approximately .75 billion, reflecting a 10% year-over-year decline, and hardware revenue at around 4 million, down 13% year-over-year. Xbox revenue has now declined for four consecutive quarters, reverting to FY 2024 levels.
- Asha Sharma, in her public comments, highlighted that while “over 200 million new players came to Xbox and our games” in FY2026, the business did not grow alongside this audience. She expressed optimism for a return to growth in FY2027, although CFO Amy Hood indicated that Q1 non-hardware revenue is expected to decline “in the mid-single digits” year-over-year.
- In our analysis of ‘trending Steam demos’ using GDCo Pro, we focused on demos released in the last two weeks. The top contenders include Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, leading with 16,000 concurrent users, followed by Guildrun with 14,000, Low-Budget Repairs at 2,500, and RTS Sanctuary: Shattered Sun with 1,200.
- PlayStation’s latest results show PS5 sales reaching 95.3 million, an increase of 1.6 million for the quarter. While sales were flat quarter-over-quarter, they experienced a 36% year-over-year decline. Active PSN users rose to 125 million, up 2 million year-over-year. Revenue remained stable year-over-year, but profit surged by 37%, attributed to a weaker yen and U.S. tariff refunds. Sony CFO Lin Tao mentioned a cautious approach to phasing out physical games, noting no significant financial impact thus far.
- In notable Steam documentation updates, the language has shifted from “First discounts, no matter how old the title, are not eligible for Daily Deal” to “First discounts tend not to be eligible for Daily Deals due to lack of performance data.” However, the guideline to “not submit until after your first discount” remains unchanged.
- In microlinks, a new Steam client beta introduces Remote Play enhancements, including HDR streaming for the Steam Deck OLED and improved AV1 codec quality. GOG has confirmed they are working towards launching GOG Galaxy on Linux, while PS+ Monthly games for August include Dying Light 2 Stay Human, Big Walk, and Signalis.
- On the VR front, Meta’s enthusiasm for VR games appears to be waning, with Reality Labs reporting a loss of .6 billion in Q2 against 1 million in revenue, which is up 16% year-over-year, likely driven by AR glasses. Additionally, the Steam Frame has received FCC approval, with speculation about a potential launch as early as Monday, coinciding with the emergence of ‘Frame-only on Steam’ games like Pavlov Shack.
- Concerns have been raised about the ‘compulsion loops’ in popular PC games, with Mathew Kumar commenting on Vampire Survivors: “It’s getting disturbingly transparent to see the slot machine and scratch card[-ish gameplay].”
- Jason Della Rocca, through Chirag Vadhia, discussed the partial pivot to project funding from various sources in gaming, emphasizing that studios with validated player bases primarily need funding to complete their games.
- In a clever marketing strategy, developers are reminded of an effective yet cheeky method: linking to each Steam game every few days with a relevant URL to showcase their company’s name in the game’s UTM referrer screen on Steam’s backend.
- Slotbound, a roguelike auto-battler defense game, has achieved 50,000 wishlists and 2,900 peak demo concurrent users. It stands out as one of the first popular solo ‘overtly AI-assembled’ Steam games, with the developer openly discussing its AI code use and employing Nano Banana for low-res pixel art.
- In additional microlinks, Footprints’ latest ‘trad media’ mentions feature Halo: Campaign Evolved and EA Sports FC 27, while the evolving ‘online fandom’ landscape is reshaping the IP playbook. Xbox has also added Ubisoft titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla to the ‘Xbox on PC’ store, although Ubisoft Connect is still required.
More than 1,000 PC games now operate direct channels alongside Steam, collectively saving developers an estimated 0 million in platform fees in 2025 alone. This revenue, which would typically be allocated to platform fees, is now available for developers to reinvest, diversify, or pass on to players. Our new guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of how to establish your own direct channel.
Since the launch of GameDiscoverCo’s Steam Fan Snapshot data in April, we have been analyzing it alongside related surveys to uncover authentic Steam player data. Conversations with a GDCo associate revealed numerous additional analyses we could conduct based on over 16,000 player data points tied to their Steam public profiles, with their consent.
We asked participants how they believe they discover new games, gathering insights from all respondents, which we then compared to specific games like ARC Raiders, Clair Obscur, and R.E.P.O.:
- The average age of players is notably higher for Clair Obscur (31) and significantly lower for R.E.P.O. (25), with our averages generally ranging from 25 to 35.
- 37.5% of respondents indicated they find games through short-form video, but only 34.2% of Clair Obscur players, 39.4% for ARC Raiders, and a striking 50.9% for R.E.P.O..
- Conversely, 27.9% of individuals utilize traditional media websites like PC Gamer for game discovery, with a higher percentage of 33.3% among ARC Raiders players, compared to a lower 27.5% for R.E.P.O. players.
Comparing multiple games offers valuable insights, particularly for recent hits where players are more engaged than the average respondent. This comparative analysis enhances our understanding of player behavior and preferences.
To further enrich our findings, we’ve introduced a ‘relative’ chart that compares responses to the overall sample, revealing demographic shifts such as gender distribution among players of ARC Raiders compared to our default sample.
Additionally, we now provide a unique view that allows subscribers to observe changes in survey responses based on longer playtimes for specific games. For instance, players of ARC Raiders demonstrate a strong preference for the Steam Deck, with a notable over-index in usage compared to our general cohort. Interestingly, as playtime increases, there is a decline in monthly playtime on consoles, particularly the Switch and PlayStation.
Turning our attention to Clair Obscur, we analyzed how player age shifts with longer playtimes. We observed a subtle increase in players aged 25-34 and a corresponding decrease in those aged 35-44, suggesting that younger players may be more inclined to invest significant time in gameplay.
As Clair Obscur is a narrative-driven game, we also examined players’ other activities outside of gaming. The data indicates a lower engagement with sports among this demographic, yet a notable increase in reading books and listening to podcasts as playtime extends.
In summary, the insights gleaned from our data underscore the importance of understanding the age and media consumption habits of players, which can significantly influence targeted marketing strategies.
Lastly, we present the top debuts of the week, as determined by data from GameDiscoverCo’s extensive Pro/Plus tool, available to our paid individual and company subscribers.
How do PC player demographics change at 50 hours vs. 30 minutes?
As the week draws to a close, we celebrate a significant achievement: 45,000 subscribers to the GameDiscoverCo newsletter. While we acknowledge that reaching 50k would be a thrilling milestone, we are confident that it is just around the corner. A special mention goes to the Video Game History Foundation for their recent launch of the remarkable ‘history of E3’ collection, which includes a captivating introductory video, a treasure trove of vintage E3 show-floor footage, and a podcast featuring E3 pioneers Doug Lowenstein and Carolyn Rauch.
The Deepest PC/Console Data?
For those interested in diving deeper, a free demo of our GameDiscoverCo Pro company-wide ‘Steam deep dive’ and console data is available upon request. Over 110 organizations have already taken advantage of this opportunity. Alternatively, signing up for GDCo Plus grants access to the complete newsletter and our Discord community, among other benefits.
Now, let’s delve into the latest insights regarding game platforms and discovery:
More than 1,000 PC games now operate direct channels alongside Steam, collectively saving developers an estimated 0 million in platform fees in 2025 alone. This revenue, which would typically be allocated to platform fees, is now available for developers to reinvest, diversify, or pass on to players. Our new guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of how to establish your own direct channel.
Since the launch of GameDiscoverCo’s Steam Fan Snapshot data in April, we have been analyzing it alongside related surveys to uncover authentic Steam player data. Conversations with a GDCo associate revealed numerous additional analyses we could conduct based on over 16,000 player data points tied to their Steam public profiles, with their consent.
We asked participants how they believe they discover new games, gathering insights from all respondents, which we then compared to specific games like ARC Raiders, Clair Obscur, and R.E.P.O.:
Comparing multiple games offers valuable insights, particularly for recent hits where players are more engaged than the average respondent. This comparative analysis enhances our understanding of player behavior and preferences.
To further enrich our findings, we’ve introduced a ‘relative’ chart that compares responses to the overall sample, revealing demographic shifts such as gender distribution among players of ARC Raiders compared to our default sample.
Additionally, we now provide a unique view that allows subscribers to observe changes in survey responses based on longer playtimes for specific games. For instance, players of ARC Raiders demonstrate a strong preference for the Steam Deck, with a notable over-index in usage compared to our general cohort. Interestingly, as playtime increases, there is a decline in monthly playtime on consoles, particularly the Switch and PlayStation.
Turning our attention to Clair Obscur, we analyzed how player age shifts with longer playtimes. We observed a subtle increase in players aged 25-34 and a corresponding decrease in those aged 35-44, suggesting that younger players may be more inclined to invest significant time in gameplay.
As Clair Obscur is a narrative-driven game, we also examined players’ other activities outside of gaming. The data indicates a lower engagement with sports among this demographic, yet a notable increase in reading books and listening to podcasts as playtime extends.
In summary, the insights gleaned from our data underscore the importance of understanding the age and media consumption habits of players, which can significantly influence targeted marketing strategies.
Lastly, we present the top debuts of the week, as determined by data from GameDiscoverCo’s extensive Pro/Plus tool, available to our paid individual and company subscribers.